Security Officer imprisoned for helping gain a US Visa

July 10, 2013 - By Terry Brooks

A former security officer with the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service has been sentenced to a year in prison for accepting gifts in exchange for helping a Jamaican musician gain a U.S. visa. Thirty-three-year old David J. Rainsberger pleaded guilty earlier this year in federal court in Alexandria. Rainsberger, who said in court papers that he once served on then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s protective detail, admitted helping a well-known musician identified in court papers only by the initials D.B. get a visa in 2011 to travel to the U.S. The musician had previously been unable to obtain a visa because of accusations of criminal activity. In exchange, the musician gave Rainsberger luxury watches and other gifts. Prosecutors sought a sentence of about two years; the defense sought home detention.